Kim Deal, of The Breeders, has released a new solo single called “Coast.”
Her first solo release in nearly a decade — and the first released via 4AD under her own name — “Coast” was written in 2020 after Deal was inspired by hearing a wedding band cover Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville” with “revelatory levels of low self-esteem.” From there, she reflected on her memories of summers spent on Nantucket, where the youth would “check the WAM” for surfing conditions, and produced an insightful set of lyrics, with lines like, “Clearly all of my life I’ve been foolish/ Tried to hit hard but I blew it/ But it don’t even matter/ It’s just just human to want a way out/ It’s human to wanna win.”
Musically, “Coast” has a steady, mid-tempo groove, with a sing-song melody that comes across almost like a Brian Wilson composition. Between Deal’s frank vocal delivery and splashes of surfy electric guitar lines, a horn section colors the track with fills and countermelodies.
The single was recorded by the late, great Steve Albini at his Electrical Audio studio in Chicago. Former Breeders member Mando Lopez played on the track, as did Deal’s sister Kelley. Stream the single below.
Deal has several more shows with The Breeders’ on the books, including dates opening for Olivia Rodrigo’s “GUTS Tour” in Los Angeles as well as the band’s own headlining dates. Grab tickets here.
For more, revisit The Breeders’ conversation with Kyle Meredith from last September, where Deal discussed an upcoming solo album.